“Well, while you were in the bathroom, I sat down at this picnic table here in Bumblefug, Kentucky, and noticed that someone had carved that GOD HATES FAG, which, aside from being a grammatical nightmare, is absolutely ridiculous. So I'm changing it to 'God Hates Baguettes.' It's tough to disagree with that. Everybody hates baguettes.”
That concrete was looking mighty grey. That wall was boring as hell. That pillar is certainly not a photo opportunity and you are definitely not allowed to be here right now. Don't you have a real job? Normal hobbies? No siree.
At this point an inevitable disclaimer will follow that I've had permission and moved within the means of legality while creating these things. Well at least 90% of the time anyways. Vienna is actually surprisingly "Urban Art friendly", providing space and walls for young troublemakers to concentrate their talents. Not a bad initiative. If at any point I may or may not have been in a space I wasn't supposed to be, well, it's been many years...and the paint has faded or been replaced since, but my ghost remains.
I've posted a couple of these images in my younger days on steemit, however without much explanation or purpose. I figured I'd revisit certain things and expand/improve upon them for your enjoyment.
So, let's take a trip down memory lane!
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| Exhibit A: Who watches the watchmen? Mural, Tools and getaway mechanism. |
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| Exhibit B: Occasionally you get the chance to work undisturbed. In this case a couple of technological aids are useful. Overhead projectors and slides with your designs can save you a lot of time and help you work more accurately albeit less gangsta. |
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| Exhibit C: Non spray based muraling. Tinting Colors, Acrylics to add punch, rollers and brushes. Also masking tape. Loads of masking tape. |
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| Exhibit D: Even going to the bathroom can be fun if you are watched over by the Batman and Clint Eastwood! Achieved by masking the "white bits" with tape and just using negative space. Black paint on a roller. |
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| Exhibit E: My parents were thrilled when they came back from their holiday to find the old garage looking like this. |
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| Exhibit F: When all of the sudden you get hired to paint a girl on the wall in the middle of town. |
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| Exhibit G: Unexpected details emerge on occasion when painting something larger like this sassy lady hiding under a branch. |
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| Exhibit H: A mural in a swimming pool in Stuttgart, Germany painted during the construction phase of the house (with permission). Surrealist skyline done with Tinting Colors only. Yeah I know that's not Vienna but the skyline is somewhat inspired by it. |
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| Exhibit I: A two hour team effort. Jill on the left, myself in the middle and Dan on the right. Freehand style. >We are always searching. |
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| Exhibit J: One of the first stencils I made after returning to Vienna after spending four years in England at University. Back to basics with the Gameboy Classic. Simple cardboard stencil and black spray. |
About Materials:
Spray Paint - Versatile, fast, fairly inexpensive, fairly inaccurate unless stencilled.
Tinting Paint - Long lasting, weatherprood, expensive, very accurate.
White Wall Paint - Prepare your space (if able) with normal wall paint. Wait to dry.
Markers - Planning, Correcting, Highlighting. Non permanent for sketches, permanent for finishing.
Measuring Tape/Ruler - To get stuff straight/proportional
Brushes - Thin, thick, fine, coarse, broad, short, long. You'll want a range if you have the time and space.
Rollers - For those big areas. Saves time and paint. Also combines well with stencils.
Tape - Plan lines, colors, positive/negative space, tidy, save. Masking tape is recommended, Duct tape will take half the wall/paint down with it.
Stencils - best to pre-prepare. Cardboard cutouts for the quick bomb, metal and wood for more elaborate pieces.
Hint of the Day:
The ideal distance from spraycan to wall is about 30cm (1 foot).
So here we are back on the other side. I absolutely do not condone going out and breaking the law to produce graffiti. Most of the time it was either a planned/permitted activity. Try and find places where it's cool or make sure to ask people, you'd be surprised how many are willing to provide some space! If you do find yourself on the grey side of the law, travel light, be quick and know your exits.
It's been a couple of years since my last adventure and it's good to revisit it, perhaps it'll be time to take to the streets again soon.
bombs away,
ZeroOoC
Mirrored from Styx : https://www.nyx-labs.com/bombs-over-vienna-my-graffiti-retrospective/